Video footage showed the man, identified as Marcello Di Finizio, jumping over railings near the top of the 450-foot high dome on Tuesday afternoon, shocking visitors taking a tour. He then tied a cord to the railings and abseiled to a ledge over a window in the cupola.

Filippo Monteforte / AFP - Getty Images

Marcello di Finizio continues his protest on Wednesday. The businessman from Trieste in northern Italy managed to slip past security guards at the Vatican on Tuesday evening.

Video shows and anti-austerity protester jumping the railing at the observation deck atop St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican to set up camp with a sign on the iconic Italian dome. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.